50g (2oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
3tbsp stem ginger syrup from a jar of stem ginger
75g (3oz) stem ginger, chopped
Directions
Step 1
Put the sugar, condensed milk and butter into a heavy-based 20.5cm (8in) stainless-steel pan with 125ml (4fl oz) water. Melt together over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved - this will take about 20min.
Step 2
Heat slowly until the temperature registers 116ºC - the soft ball stage - on a sugar thermometer (see cook's tip). This will take 10-15min. Stir occasionally to stop the mixture from catching - don't worry if it does a little: just stir the caramelised bits back into the mixture. Cook at 116°C until golden, then dip the base of the pan into a bowl of cold water to stop the mixture cooking further and tip the still-liquid fudge into a clean bowl.
Step 3
Add the ginger syrup, then beat with an electric hand whisk for 2-3min until thick. Stir in the chopped stem ginger. Pour into a 15cm (6in) lightly buttered square tin lined with greaseproof paper. Allow to cool completely and set, then cut into squares. Wrap up for Christmas… and label with an eat-by date. The ginger fudge will keep for up to a month if you store it in an air-tight container in the fridge.
If you don't have a sugar thermometer, you can test for the soft ball stage by dripping some of the sugar syrup into a bowl of cold water. It should sink to the bottom of the bowl and clump into a soft ball when you bring it together with your fingers.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
